"Sherlock Holmes" sequel leads movie box office

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Action adventure film "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" led a trio of sequels at the U.S. box office over the weekend with $40 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates compiled by Reuters on Sunday.

The sequel to 2009's "Sherlock Holmes" starring Robert Downey Jr. beat "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked," the third film in the popular family franchise. "Chipwrecked" pulled in $23.5 million from Friday through Sunday.

"Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol," the fourth movie in the action series starring Tom Cruise, was in third place with $13 million at just 425 theaters over three days. "Sherlock Holmes" and "Chipwrecked" played in more than 3,700 theaters each.

Time Warner Inc unit Warner Bros. distributed "Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows." "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" was released by 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp. Paramount, a unit of Viacom Inc, released "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol."